Back to Back we stand awaiting the wolves attack, and we wait, the growling and howls close and menacing. The sound of fast running behind us, coming down the track we just traveled, the mist parts and Summer, our monk runs into our group. We thought we had lost him.
Shadows in the mist surround us, then a humanoid shape takes form still mostly obscured by the mists. He calls and demands out purpose, why do we track them.
We explain we track the child they stole, to which he replies some thing we did not expect, they were simply retrieving what was stolen from them. Two women come barely into view showing them nursing the children, the babies suckling quietly.
It becomes evident the wolf pack is led by werewolves and others.
We are given an ultimatum, cease our tracking of them or face them. We are not ready or prepared to face such adversaries, and uncertain of ourselves reluctantly agree (for the time being).
We are told it is a pity we followed then for now we are trapped, that we have been called within and we are trapped. They do not explain and depart.
Uncertain and turned around - where are we, there are no familiar landforms and the mist prevents our sight.
With no better plan we follow the trail cross the stream we have been hearing and soon are on an old seemingly forgotten path, but one that was once well trod.
Soon we exit the forest into long forgotten, disused, overgrown farmland, heavy, rugged high and unfamiliar mountains a huge wall crosses the valley an ancient gateway but to were?
We approach intrepidly, slowly as we get close ancient stone guarianians stand, elegant works of some great art, now forgotten and headless. Their heads lying in the fields and overgrown.
We approach and the gates between the guardians swing open, slowly with the eerie screech of rusting hinges.
We pass though and the gates ominously close, squealing behind crashing home with loud metallic crunch.
We are very weary so decide this as good a place as any to camp and recover. So we climb the wall and set guard and rest.
After rest we investigate the surroundings, the smell of carrion nearby leads us to a hastily hidden coupse, a man whose body has been ravaged by fangs and claws, and more recently feasted upon my ravens.
A letter is found clasped with his hands and its words send shivers into our bones.
Signed in the same name as that given to use in the Vastani camp, this is in a different hand and tells a very different story
What have we fallen into....
It reads:
Hail thee of might and valor:
I, the Burgomaster of Barovia, send you
honor—with despair.
My adopted daughter, the fair Ireena Kolyana,
has been these
past nights bitten by a vampyr. For over four
hundred years,
this creature has drained the life blood of my
people. Now, my
dear Ireena languishes and dies from an unholy
wound caused by
this vile beast. He has become too powerful to
conquer.
So I say to you, give us up for dead and
encircle this land with
the symbols of good. Let holy men call upon
their power that
the devil may be contained within the walls of
weeping Barovia.
Leave our sorrows to our graves, and save the
world from this
evil fate of ours.
There is much wealth entrapped in this
community. Return
for your reward after we are all departed for a
better life.
Kolyan
Indirovich
Burgomaster
